Passing of Parnell Lovelace, the founder of the San Diego Chapter of the Friends of Allensworth

Dear Friends and Supporters;

It is with a heavy heart that I must announce the passing of Parnell M. Lovelace, Sr., the founder and first president of the San Diego Chapter of the Friends of Allensworth. After a long illness he passed away in his home on February 27, 2011.

In lieu of flowers the family requests donations be made in Parnell’s name to:

Wilma Lovelace
P.O. Box 161211
San Diego, CA 92176

You can leave messages for the family at the Preferred Cremation and Burial website.

Service Information:

Viewing:
Wednesday, March 2nd, 2011
5:00 - 8:00 pm
Preferred Cremation and Burial, San Diego
6529 University Avenue
San Diego, California 92115

Funeral Service:
Thursday, March 3rd, 2011
11:00am – 1:30pm
31st Street Seventh-day Adventist Church
414 South 31st Street
San Diego, California 92113

We ask that you remember his family in your prayers.

Sincerely,

Stephen Hill, Sr.
Friends of Allensworth
San Diego Chapter No 12

Mary Dickerson Memorial Library

The Mary Dickerson Memorial Library is the latest video on the Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park’s new YouTube Channel. The other videos are The Hackett House, The Drug Store, and Colonel Allensworth visits the Schoolhouse. You can view all of the Allensworth videos on YouTube.

Built in 1913, the Mary Dickerson Memorial Library was the first satellite library in Tulare County. The video shows the inside of the library to include books like Battles and Victories of Allen Allensworth, and a 1908 Sears, Roebuck & Co. catalog.

Stephen Hill, Sr.

15 Not-To-Be-Missed Black History Destinations

Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park has been listed as one of the 15 not-to-be-missed black history destinations by the Grio website. The other 14 places listed were:

 

• African Burial Ground National Monument
• Apollo Theater
• Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site
• Levi Coffin House
• Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site
• National Underground Railroad Museum(The Bierbower House)
• Louis Armstrong House and Archives
• Old Slave Mart Museum (Charleston, SC)
• Museum of Black WWII history
• Harlem Heritage Tours and Cultural Center
• Robert Russa Moton Museum (Farmville, VA)
• Slave Relics Museum (Walterboro, SC)
• Five Points, Denver
• The Rankin House (Ripley, OH)

 

According to the Grio website:

TheGrio.com is the first video-centric news community site devoted to providing African Americans with stories and perspectives that appeal to them but are underrepresented in existing national news outlets. TheGrio features aggregated and original video packages, news articles, and blogs on topics from breaking news, politics, health, business, and entertainment, which concern its niche audience.

Visit the Grio website to read about all of the not-to-be-missed black history destinations.

 

Stephen Hill, Sr.

2011 BET Honors Award

Lonnie G. Bunch III, on the Red Carpet with Sharon Carpenter

Lonnie G. Bunch III, the founding director of the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture, will receive the 2011 BET Honors Education Award. BET will air the award show on February 21, 2011.

The other 2011 honorees are: 

• Entertainment:      Jamie Foxx
• Musical Arts:       Herbie Hancock
• Service:               Iman
• Media:                Linda Johnson Rice
• Theatrical:           Cicely Tyson

Mr. Bunch, a 30-year veteran of the museum field, became a supporter of Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park when he was serving as the curator of history for the California African-American Museum in Los Angeles. He traveled from Washington DC back to California to be the keynote speaker for the 2008 Allensworth Centennial Celebration at Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park.

In the foreword to Mrs. Alice C. Royal’s book Allensworth, The Freedom Colony Mr. Bunch wrote: 

“As I listened to friends of the community and former residents speak, I found myself captivated and moved by the passion and the stories shared by Mrs. Alice C. Royal. Soon she was taking me around to meet individuals whose stories helped me to better understand the history and meaning of this community. Mrs. Royal kindly schooled this historian, and by the time I left that fall event, I knew that I would write and later create an exhibition that would make more visible this interesting and illuminating history.”

In this audio clip from wbur.org NPR you can hear Mr. Bunch being interviewed by NPR Editor Sasa Woodruff for her 2008 NPR segment “Celebrating The Allensworth Legacy 100 Years Later.”




Mr. Lonnie G. Bunch III, the Friends of Allensworth congratulate you on receiving the 2011 BET Honors Education Award.

Stephen Hill, Sr.

Russ Christoff Visits Allensworth

The California Department of State Parks has begun to post segments of the Traveling California State Parks Videos to their Youtube channel. In this 4 minute video world camper Russ Christoff visits Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park for the annual Juneteeth celebration. There are shots of some of the Allensworth homes before they were restored and an interview with Friends of Allensworth docent Susie Smith.

Russ Christoff and associates spent three years traveling to over 90 of California’s State Parks. They produced a four hour three-part video series that covers the main three areas of California: Northern, Central, and Southern. Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park is part of the Central California video.

Stephen Hill, Sr.